New Westminster put the Delta Islanders on the ropes following a nine-goal third period in B.C. Junior Lacrosse League playoffs.
The junior A Salmonbellies defeated the home team 15-8 in a game that was won and lost in a seven-minute span of the final period at Sungod Arena on Saturday.
The win put New West up two games to none in the first-round best-of-five playoff semifinal.
Game 3 will be played today Tuesday (July 15).
With the scored tied 2-2 after one period and 6-6 after two, Anthony Malcom sparked the seven-goal rally with his first of two goals and four points of the game at near the two-minute mark of the third period.
Nathan Stewart, on the power play, and Josh Byrne, with the eventual game winner, followed minutes later.
Johnny Pearson, who finished up with a hat trick in a seven-point outing, collected New Westminster’s fourth goal of the period.
Regular season scoring champion Connor Robinson led all scorers with three goals and nine total points.
Ross Bowman came back from a shaky start in the opening game, also won by New Westminster 15-11 earlier in the week, to post his first win of the playoffs, stopping 31 shots in goal.
Ryland Hood was chased from the Islanders’ net in the third period after Luke Gillespie scored unassisted with his second tally of the game at 9:05 of the stanza.
In the other semifinal, Coquitlam took a two-game advantage over the Victoria Shamrocks following an 11-6 win in the Capital City on Sunday.
The junior A’s opened their B.C. best-of-five semifinal playoff series with a 13-5 win over the Shamrocks at home on Saturday.
